Readers’ Rides - September 2013

Neighborhood Project
As Dean Kenyon told us, "This 1967 RS/SS sat idle in my neighborhood for years and I drove past it daily while taking my son to school. I had been saving up to build another hot rod and finally stopped at the house to speak with the owner. He told me that it was his high school car back in the early 1980s, and that he was pretty attached to it. I made him an offer, but he never returned my calls. I made another offer and he accepted it, but I think his wife had something to do with it. In any event, the neighbors cheered as it left his side yard! Now he's very happy with the reconstruction of his high school ride."

Dean did all the work himself with the exception of the engine machine work. The five-year project involved reworking the Camaro from top to bottom, including a new coat of Marina Blue paint. The original 350 was worked over with parts from MSD, Patriot, Flowmaster, and Edelbrock. A Muncie M21 with a Centerforce clutch handles shifting duties, while CPP disc brakes handle the stopping. Dean has enjoyed sharing his freshly rebuilt Camaro with his wife, Susan, and his friends. As to the cost of the rebuild, he's adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

3/6

Semper Fidelis
Ever since Adam Keziah can remember he's longed for a Camaro, but like many young men just starting out in life, his dreams were bigger than his savings account. "My parents couldn't afford to buy me a car, so last summer I got a job and eventually saved up enough to buy this 1994 Z28," remarked Adam. The Camaro, with the exception of the graphics and American Racing rims, is stock, but as soon as funds allow he plans on strokin' the LT1 to a 383 and improving the suspension. In fact, once he graduates from his Monroe, North Carolina, high school, he plans on joining the Marine Corps and making this a Marine tribute car. Looks like the future of our hobby is in good hands.

4/6

Pro Cool
Pro Touring may have overtaken Pro Street builds in terms of popularity, but there's just something super cool about a big-and-little Camaro that's done just right. A perfect example of this is Bruce Sato's screamin' yellow 1968. With just the right stance, this F-body sits on a 2x3-inch tube frame and is powered by a 383 small-block topped with an Edelbrock tunnel-ram and twin 660 Holley carbs. Rounding out the drivetrain is a built Turbo 400 trans twisting back to a Ford 9-inch rear.

5/6

Super Charger
After 30 years of wrenching on different cars, Jeff Harrington, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, thinks this might be his best ever. It's a 2012 SS that Jeff has worked hard to put his unique mark on. The LS3 has been topped with a 2.9L Whipple supercharger and fitted with Kooks headers—a combo good for 612 horsepower and 537 pounds of twist. For looks, Jeff added a ZL1 rear spoiler, Harwood cowl-induction hood, heritage grille, and American Racing rollers. "This is actually my second attempt at a fifth-gen, since my first one was lost in a flood," recalled Jeff. To us, it seems that the second time was the charm.

6/6

Work In Progress
Pennsylvania gearhead Bill Denning was just 15 years old when he picked up this 1989 RS back in 2005. The 305-powered third-gen was in great shape—bone stock and 110,000 on the clock. Bill drove the Camaro as is all through high school. "When I graduated, I got a full-time job and finally had some money to start fixing up the Camaro. The first thing I did was buy a 350 small-block, stroke it to a 383, and install it with an Edelbrock Pro-Flo EFI kit," Bill said. He also added a B&M shifted TCI 700-R4 trans and a set of 3.73 gears with a Detroit Truetrac posi. For comfort he swapped in the seats from a fourth-gen. For looks there's a 4-inch cowl hood and a set of 15-inch American Racing wheels. The engine rumbles through a set of Hooker headers, which feed a set of Flowmasters. And while most of us would be happy to have such a nice ride, Bill plans on replacing the 383 with an LS engine in the near future.